Back Pain Solutions

The First 48 Hours

You've thrown your back out  #$%?! While the pain may be terrible, if you're lucky, it will be short-lived. Here, simple relief measures to get you back on your feet:

Chill (Then Thaw)
Apply an ice pack (a bag of frozen peas works, too), over a thin shirt or towel, for up to 20 minutes. Or give yourself (or recruit the nearest set of helping hands for) a five-minute ice massage using water frozen in a paper cup with the sides peeled down. Repeat as often as you want, but no more than once an hour. (Ice is a natural pain reliever, and it reduces swelling by causing blood vessels in the area to constrict.) After 48 hours, you want blood flow to increase to help healing, so switch to heat.

Reach for the Meds
Or, if reaching is out of the question, dispatch someone to the medicine chest for an anti-inflammatory  aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). These can be started right away (at the highest dose recommended on the label) to reduce pain and swelling. If you're allergic to these painkillers or they upset your stomach, you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol), but it won't reduce inflammation as effectively. Consult your doctor if you're on other medications or if the OTC pills aren't touching the pain. You may need different or stronger meds, or a muscle relaxant.

Rest. A Little.
Naturally, you'll ask your husband to bring the laundry up from the basement and you'll stop doing any motion you think put you in this predicament. Lie down when you need to, but make sure it's in a back-neutral position: Try lying on your back with your head supported but not lifted and your knees bent and supported with a cushion. Another option: Lie on your side with one pillow behind your neck and another between your knees. Bed rest is OK only for the first 48 hours; after that (or even in those first two days), walking around will relieve pain-causing tension in your muscles.

Talk to your doctor if your pain continues to worsen, and seek professional help right away if:

You've fallen, been in a car accident, or had another traumatic injury

You can't move one or both legs, or you have severe numbness or weakness

You lose bowel control or have urinary difficulties, or you lose feeling in the groin (there may be severe nerve involvement)

You have fever  it could be an infection

You experience severe pain with movement, especially if you have arthritis or osteoporosis  you may have a fracture

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